old
broken ship to this sure plank of grace that is offered by Jesus Christ to
drowning souls,--so it would be our great work to show unto you the nature
of this covenant, and the terms thereof, that you may henceforth find and
know that salvation to be now impossible by the law which so many seek in
it. We have no errand to speak of the first Adam, but the better to lead
you to the second. Our life was once in the first, but he lost himself and
us both; but the second, by losing himself, saves both. We have nothing to
do to speak of the first covenant, but that we may lead you, or pursue you
rather to the second, established on better terms and better promises.

The terms of this covenant are,--Do this and live. Perfect obedience
without one jot of failing or falling,--an entire and universal
accomplishment of the whole will of God,--that is the duty required of man.
There is no latitude left in the bargain to admit endeavours instead of
performance, or desire instead of duty. There is no place for repentance
here. If a man fail in one point, he falls from the whole promise; by the
tenor of this bargain, there is no hope of recovery. If you would have the
duty in a word, it is a love of God with all our heart and soul, and our
neighbour as ourselves; and that testified and verified in all duties and
offices of obedience to God, and love to men, without the least mixture of
sin and infirmity. Now, the promise on God's part is indeed larger than
that duty, not only because undeserved, but even in the matter of it, it
is so abundant,--life, eternal life, continuance in a happy estate. There
is a threatening added, "In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die;"
that is, thou shalt become a mortal and miserable creature, subject to
misery here and hereafter; which is more pressingly set down in that word,
"Cursed is he that abideth not in all things written in the law to do
them." It is very peremptory; that men dream not of escaping wrath when
they break but in one, suppose they did abide in all the rest. Cursed is
every man from the highest to the lowest; the Lord Almighty is engaged
against him. His countenance, his power is against him, to destroy him and
make him miserable. Whoever doth fail but in one jot of the commands, he
shall not only fall from that blessed condition freely promised, but lose
all that he already possessed, fall from that image of God, dominion over
the creatures, and incur, instead of that posses